GPO

The Easter Rising of 1916 was organised by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, with the aim to end British rule in Ireland and to form an Irish Republic. Under the command of the Republican Military Council, key buildings in Dublin were seized on the morning of 24th April. The General Post Office (GPO) was chosen as the headquarters of the military operation.

James Connolly, the military commander, and four senior members of the Military Council gathered here to raise the Irish Tricolour and to read the Proclamation of the Republic.

The British forces were unprepared for the rising but took little time in rushing some 16,000 reinforcements to Dublin, where they set about bombarding the rebel strongholds. After days of relentless shelling, the Republican Military Council was finally forced from their headquarters when the GPO caught fire. On Saturday 29th April 1916, the Irish Republican order to surrender was given.

The subsequent execution of the leaders of the rising provoked great anger, the Easter Rising thus triggered the War of Independence which eventually brought about the setting up of the modern Irish State.